FullReads

CHAPTER X

A VOYAGE HOME

Down pelted more and more rain, harder and harder, until the back yard, where Archie had been playing with the Stuffed Elephant, was almost a little lake of water. The puddle rose higher and higher around the Stuffed Elephant as he lay on his side, unable to move because he was so soaked with water–like a sponge.

Inside the house where Archie lived there was trouble, because the little boy was hurt worse in his fall than was at first supposed. They had to send for the doctor, and of course no one thought of the poor Elephant.

“I’m glad I’m not out in this rain with my Doll,” said Elsie, as she sat at the window after the doctor had gone.

“Yes, it is a regular flood,” said Mother, sadly thinking of her little boy.

And still no one thought of the Elephant out in all the storm.

If Elsie remembered anything at all, she probably thought that Archie had brought his Elephant into the house. As for Archie, the doctor had given him something to make him sleep, and the little boy was too ill even to dream of his Christmas toy.

As for the Elephant; well, he was in a sad state! The wet cotton stuffing inside him was cold and clammy. His trunk was like a wet piece of paper, and he feared his wooden tusks would come out, if the glue that held them in got too much soaked.

“Oh, dear! What am I to do?” thought the poor toy.

Now it happened that Jeff, the colored boy who had once taken the China Cat from Mr. Mugg’s store after a fire, lived not far from Archie’s home. Jeff and his folks had moved to the country from the city. And about this time Jeff’s mother sent him to the store.

“Has Ah done gotta go in all dis rain?” asked the little colored boy.

“Yo’ suah has, Honey!” replied his mother. “Yo’ isn’t salt or sugah, an’ yo’ won’t melt. Put on yo’ ole coat an’ go to de sto’!”

So Jeff went. He took a “short cut” which led across the Dunn’s back yard, and Jeff passed the place where the poor Elephant lay in a puddle of water.

“Oh, golly!” cried Jeff, his white teeth glistening against his funny black face as he laughed. “Ah’d done gone an’ found annuder playtoy! Only dis one Ah done found in de rain, but de udder one was in a fiah! Ah knows whut Ah’s gwine to do. I’ll put dis Leffelant on a board till Ah comes back from de sto’. Den Ah’ll take him home wif me!”

Jeff looked around until he found a flat board, large enough to hold the elephant. Putting the toy on this board, Jeff laid it to one side, and ran on to the store. He did not want to take the Elephant with him for fear some one would see it and ask him about it.

But Jeff was not to have that Elephant. While the colored boy was at the store the rain came down harder than ever, making so much water that the little brook in Archie’s back yard rose higher and higher.

So high did the brook rise that the water reached the board on which the limp and soaking Elephant was lying on his side. And then the water lifted up the board, Elephant and all, and floated them down stream.

“Oh, my!” thought the poor Stuffed Elephant. “This is the last of me! I am going on a long voyage! I shall never see Archie again!”

Down the stream he floated on the board which was like a boat. Once a fish poked his head out of the water and called:

“Who are you and where are you going?”

Before the Elephant could answer the swift current had carried him farther downstream and away from the fish.

Once the board with the Elephant on it bumped against a big Water Rat.